


Absolution

by Dominatrix



Category: Emma Approved
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, It's sweet, Romance, Takes place after E 16: "Giving thanks"
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-28
Updated: 2013-11-28
Packaged: 2018-01-02 22:15:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1062249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dominatrix/pseuds/Dominatrix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emma asks Alex for absolution.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Absolution

**Author's Note:**

> Because I'm totally sailing the Knighthouse ship (or however the ship name is).  
> Enjoy ♥

After he leaves she stares at her hands for minutes, wonders why they are shaking, tries to clench them into fists. But she’s feeling too weak. And if there is anything Emma Woodhouse has never felt in her life before, it was weak. Hurt, yes. Alone, absolutely. Maybe even broken. But never weak. It is a feeling only Alex Knightley can give to her. And he is also the only one to take it from her.

He ignores her hesitant knock at his open door because he knows it is her. It’s always her.

“About our talk” she starts, but he won’t let her finish, won’t let her have the last word, not this time. Completely furious, he turns in his chair, prepared to see Emma as he knows her. Self-conscious, a bit arrogant, too charismatic to seem real. He doesn’t know the woman standing in front of him. Her shoulders aren’t squared, her lips not curled into this special Emma-approved smile.

„You’re asking for absolution. For what you have done to Harriet and Martin.” His voice is bitter and hoarse. It hurts to see Emma like this, but he knows that she deserves it.

“Yes, very much.” She doesn’t sound like herself. All quiet and fragile, he is not sure how to handle her. He knows how to get along with an energetic Emma, with her being all enthusiastic, furious and even drunk, but this…

Slowly he gets up, walks over to her because he always does. He always finds a compromise for them even though most of the time there isn’t one.

“I can’t give you that.” She looks down for a second, understands his words, and then softly shakes her head. Alex is sure it is one of the most heartbreaking things he has ever seen. When she carefully drops on the couch next to his door, he has no other choice than to sit next to her, hands awkwardly clenched into each other to stop them from shaking.

“Can you at least hold me?” Again her voice is soft and quiet, like morning frost.

“I’m sure that’s not part of my job.” He tries to say it with this snarky grin of his, but this time it doesn’t work. It’s all different this time.

“Come here.”  Stretching out his arms for her, he pulls her body against his until they meet full length.

“Thank you”, Emma whispers, and he knows she has said it for the first time since they know each other.

“You’re crazy“, he replies lowly, kissing her hair before brushing a single, lost streak behind her ear, carefully touching her forehead with his lips. The touch is a few seconds too long to just count as a gentle comfort from one friend to another, and had the situation been different, Emma would have surely mocked him for it afterwards. But she doesn’t.

Instead, she shifts closer, until she is on his lap, curled against him like a kitten, while she clenches her fingers into his shirt desperately, as if she means to never let go again.

Alex is puzzled for a second, realizing that this thought – Emma never letting go – is not as scary as it probably should be.


End file.
